Choosing an onsen town in Izu: Atami, Ito, Shuzenji, Shimoda and Inatori compared

Onsen · Izu Peninsula · Published 2026-10-25.

Seafront resort, bathhouse town, river valley or beach: how Izu's main hot spring towns differ, and which suits a first visit, a romantic weekend or a long stay.

Closest to Tokyo

Atami, 40–50 min by Shinkansen

Most traditional

Shuzenji, Izuhakone Railway from Mishima

Public bathhouses

Ito (Seven Lucky Gods baths)

Izu has hot springs almost everywhere, from big seaside resorts to single inns in the mountains. For a first trip the choice usually comes down to five towns. They share the same volcanic heat but feel very different. Here is how to pick.

Atami: the classic seaside resort

Atami has been a hot spring resort since the Edo period and grew into one of Japan's great honeymoon towns in the twentieth century. Today it is busy again, with renovated hotels, seafront promenades and a lively shopping street near the station. Its hot spring water was prized enough in the Edo period to be carried to the shogun's castle in Edo. It is the easiest to reach, about 40 to 50 minutes from Tokyo by Shinkansen, and the best choice if you want convenience, sea views from your room and a short trip.

Ito: public bathhouses and a historic ryokan

Ito, further down the coast, is a working town with a strong bathing culture. It has a network of small public bathhouses, several of them linked to the Seven Lucky Gods, with a statue at each entrance; collecting them is a local pastime. The highlight is Tokaikan, a three-storey wooden ryokan built in 1928 by the river, which closed in 1997 and reopened in 2001 as a public building; each floor was finished by a different master carpenter, and its bath opens to visitors on weekends and holidays. It is about ten minutes on foot from Ito station. Ito is also the base for the Jogasaki coast and Mount Omuro.

Shuzenji: the onsen town in a river valley

Shuzenji, in the centre of the peninsula, is the archetype of a Japanese onsen town: ryokan along the rocky Katsura River, red bridges, a bamboo forest path and a temple said to have been founded in 807. The print artist Hiroshige depicted its hot springs in the 1850s. It is quiet in the evening and spectacular in late autumn, when the maples turn; see our guide to autumn in Shuzenji. It is reached by the Izuhakone Railway from Mishima.

Shimoda and Rendaiji: beaches and history

Shimoda's own baths are modest, but the nearby onsen areas of Rendaiji and Shimogamo are among the oldest in the south. Stay here if you want beaches by day and a bath by night. The historic Kanaya Ryokan in Rendaiji has the Sennin-buro, a single bath of Japanese cypress about 15 metres long and 5 metres wide, generally described as the largest all-wooden bath in Japan. Rendaiji's stone lanes also keep a thatched house where the scholar Yoshida Shoin hid in 1854.

Inatori and Atagawa: small towns on the east coast

Between Ito and Kawazu, the small towns of Atagawa and Inatori cling to the cliffs, with inns facing the sea. Inatori is known for its seafood, and its ryokan Hamanoyu is famous for its meals. These towns are a good choice for a quiet night on the Izukyu line, especially during the Kawazu cherry blossom season, when Kawazu itself is fully booked.

Combining towns in one trip

Because the east coast towns sit on the same railway, it is easy to combine two onsen styles in one trip: a night in Atami or Ito for the sea, then a night in Shuzenji for the valley, travelling between them via Mishima. Another classic loop runs down the east coast to Shimoda and back up through the centre over the Amagi pass by bus to Shuzenji. Moving every night is tiring, though; for a trip of four or five days, two bases are usually enough.

When to go for the baths

Hot springs are at their best in the cold months, from December to February, when an outdoor bath in the winter air is the whole point of the trip. Late autumn adds the maples of Shuzenji, and February the cherry blossoms of Kawazu, both easy to combine with a night in a nearby onsen town. Summer is the cheapest season for some mountain inns but the busiest for the seaside resorts.

Which one for you?

• First visit, short trip: Atami or Ito, both on the main line.
• Traditional atmosphere: Shuzenji.
• Beaches and a bath: Shimoda and Rendaiji.
• Seafood and sea views: Inatori or Atagawa.
• A month or more: Atami for convenience, Ito for daily public baths, Shuzenji for calm. Our guide to a long stay in Izu covers visas, housing and budgets.

Day visits or a night?

Many ryokan and hotels sell day bathing (higaeri onsen), usually in the late morning or afternoon, which is a good way to try a famous bath without staying. A night is a different experience: dinner and breakfast are usually included, served in your room or a dining hall, and the baths are quiet late in the evening and early in the morning. Prices are per person rather than per room and rise sharply on Saturdays and holidays. If dinner is not important to you, look for plans with breakfast only, which are cheaper and leave you free to eat in town.

Onsen etiquette in brief

Wash thoroughly at the taps before entering the bath, keep towels out of the water, and do not swim or splash. Many baths still refuse visitors with tattoos, though more now allow them or offer private baths (kashikiri-buro) that you can reserve by the hour, which are also the easiest option for couples and families who want to bathe together; ask before you go.